Region

BALDWIN PARK - A DUI checkpoint will be held in the unincorporated area of Azusa starting at 8 p.m. Friday, March 13, the Baldwin Park CHP Office said.

Placing checkpoints on roads with identified DUI problems and detaining drivers for a very limited time “helps to assure we conform to the guidelines,” according to Baldwin Park CHP Captain Susan Estrem.

Officers trained in detecting impaired drivers will be equipped with hand-held breath testing devices in an effort to get an accurate blood-alcohol concentration.

All vehicles will be checked, traffic permitting. If traffic volume becomes too heavy, every third and fifth vehicle will be checked to maintain objectivity, the CHP said.

Estrem added that checkpoints can “reduce the number of drinking drivers on the road, even though arrest totals do not rise dramatically.” A major value of checkpoints is their psychological influence.